The Salt You Breathed
by nikki4317
Summary: He's been dreaming about her - the beautiful mermaid that will somehow be the death of him. She's been watching him from afar - the mysterious pirate whose sad gaze breaks her heart. When Killian Jones catches a mermaid, will he have reeled in more than he can handle? OUAT fanfic, Captain Hook & Ariel. I don't own the characters, but the plot is mine. T for now, M possible later.
1. Navy and Silver

_It was always the same dream. He was surrounded by waves, the same ones to which he had dedicated his life years ago. The water was freezing, the wind whipping his face raw. Though he was a strong swimmer, amidst the storm he was barely staying afloat. Beyond the growl of thunder and the cackle of slapping water, though, he could hear something sweet and melodic. He kept paddling toward the noise, one arm after the other, legs frantically beating against the dangerous sea. _

_When he finally found the source of the music, he thought he had found salvation. There she was, perched on a rock jetting out of the water, waves crashing in white foam around her. Red hair swirled around her bare shoulders as she sang, calling him closer to the rock. She was naked from the waist up, but where her legs should have been instead was a long, green fin. Her deep blue eyes were focused on him, beckoning him closer to her with simply a look._

_"Killian, won't you come sit with me?" she called out softly to him. "I'm waiting here for you. I've always been waiting here for you." _

_He kept swimming toward her, toward her beautiful voice, but never seemed to get close enough to the rocks to hoist himself from the swirling water. When the rock was finally within an arm's reach, a huge wave crashed into him, knocking his head against the hard surface and pulling him underwater. As the ocean engulfed him, the last thing he saw was the mermaid's beautiful face, her hands reaching out futilely to save him as he sunk further and deeper beneath the surface. _

Killian Jones woke in a cold sweat, sitting straight up among disheveled sheets. It was the same way he had awoken every night for the past two weeks. The ship was still quiet, but the thudding of his heart was loud enough to overwhelm his ears and fill his cabin with noise. Instead of waking with fear or apprehension, the dream only sparked curiosity. _Who was that girl? _

He stood from his restless bed and pulled his shirt and boots back on. He ran his hand through his dark hair before slipping his long coat over the top of his outfit. After fastening his hook firmly onto his left wrist, Killian left his quarters and headed for the deck. The Jolly Roger was still sleeping, save for the lone crewman Killian had left to man the helm. He nodded over to red-hatted man, before leaning against the railing on the side of his ship. He breathed out a heavy sigh, gulping in as much of the salty ocean air as possible.

It was cold, but nights on the ocean usually were, and it had been a long time since Killian had anyone to warm his bones. He stared sullenly out across the calm sea – it seemed as though even the waves were asleep. The moon glittered off of the mostly-still water, and for the first time in years, Killian wished he were sharing the view with someone. As quickly as the thought was there, it was gone. He preferred to be alone, he reminded himself. Companionship brought with it emotions, and those were a dangerous thing for a pirate. As long as there were waters to sail, treasures to find and adventures to be had, Killian had the only soul mate he would need – the sea.

He was about to turn and head to the helm when something in the waters sloshing off the side of the ship caught his eye. Amidst the navy and the silver of the moon and the seawater, he glimpsed a shimmer of red. His eyes focused in on the spot where the color had been, but it then appeared several yards away. This time, the appearance of the red was bright, smooth, and was followed by a flash of green. Every muscle in his body tensed as he watched the two colors dance around the water by the side of his ship.

With a curt nod and a point of his hook, he caught the attention of the pirate at the helm and beckoned him to his side. The two of them silently hoisted a thick fishing net to the top of the railing, and when the flash of red appeared directly below them, they pushed it off. As the net hit the water, the colorful creature started flailing and screaming, entangling herself further in the thick, tawny ropes. Breaking the surface, the beautiful face of the girl from his dream stared up at him, tears running down her cheeks as she pulled at her bindings. A tremor ran down Killian's spine as he made eye contact with the girl, but he quickly recovered.

"Well, Mr. Smee," he said with a wicked smile, "it seems to me as though we've caught ourselves a mermaid."

-x-

This is my first story on here, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!


	2. Dark and Exciting

During the day, the ship was a flurry of activity, stocked full of frightening looking men and loud, angry voices. At night, though, it looked like exactly the kind of place Ariel wanted to go exploring. Several hours after the sun sunk below the horizon, the drunken pirates aboard the Jolly Roger slunk to their beds, leaving usually only one man on deck. As far as Ariel could tell, he was too busy spinning that strange wheel to notice her. She would swim around the ship, trying to memorize every detail of its hull, and trying to peek as far as she could onto its deck. Later in the night, however, another man would come into her view. Even more than she was curious about the wooden wonder in front of her, she yearned to know about him.

Every night for two weeks, she had followed the ship, and watched him, tucked away safely in the waves. He was handsome, she thought, in a dark and exciting way. His eyes seemed so far away as he scanned the sea, looking for something she was almost sure he wasn't going to find. He looked so…sad, and Ariel wanted nothing more than to know why. Maybe he wanted to see the ocean, much like she wanted to see the land. Maybe she could show him what waited under the waves, and maybe he could show her what was beyond the shore.

After two weeks of looking on from afar, Ariel dared to venture a little closer. She was examining the sides of the ship from below the surface when he came out on deck. At first, she delved deeper underwater to avoid detection. However, the sadness in his eyes was calling to her, so much so that she hadn't noticed she was swimming up towards him until she saw the look of surprise in his eyes. Rather than surfacing, she began swimming near to the top, close enough so he could see her, but not close enough for him to see what she was. As much as she wanted to push through the barrier that kept her from him, as much as she dreamed of meeting him, she still felt it was too dangerous.

As soon as she felt the net crush against her skin and her fin, she knew she had been right. The ropes caught her fin, and as much as she struggled to try to escape, she only ended up more tangled in the net. She was a mermaid caught, and when she broke the surface, all she could do was sob. When she heard his voice for the first time, it was nothing like how she had pictured. He sounded cruel, detached, and she knew that she was in real trouble this time.

The mysterious man stayed by the edge of the ship, holding the ropes that were attached to the net, but the man in the red hat momentarily disappeared. When he came back, he approached with a loud, scraping noise. Then, a bucket splashed into the sea next to her. Once the bucket was filled with the saltwater, it was lifted back onto the ship. The process repeated over and over again, until Ariel finally realized what they were doing. They were going to bring her aboard the ship. From the turn in her stomach, she wasn't sure if that terrified or excited her more. Once the two men began hoisting her from the water, she had her answer.

"Please, please let me go," she begged, squirming in the ropes, which only caused them to tighten and constrict her more. "I'll do whatever you want, but please don't do this."

The men only laughed at her protestations as they dropped her onto the deck. Unraveling her from the net with surprising care, the man that moments ago has looked so sad and beautiful lifted her and then transferred her into a wooden contraption that looked like a small boat.

"Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger, love. I'm your captain – Captain Hook," he said with a grin, the light of the moon glinting off of the sharp silver object that took the place where his hand should have been. As a creature of the sea that had grown up fearing hooks (and nets, for that matter) more than anything in the world, the sight of it made Ariel start crying harder.

"Please just let me go," she whispered in between sobs.

"Now why would I do that?" he said crouching down to the small vessel so his face was only inches from hers. "I'm a pirate, and I just caught my treasure."


	3. Boon and Burden

Smee and Killian moved the small lifeboat, which was more of a canoe than anything, to the captain's chambers where the distraught mermaid would be safe from the rest of the crew. She hadn't stopped crying since he had plucked her from the water, and Killian's patience was wearing thin.

Smee had returned to the helm and Killian sat at a small, map-covered desk, trying to ignore the sniffles and sobs from across the room. When one whimper finally broke his temper, he stabbed the tip of his hook into the desk. In her little wooden prison, a silence abruptly fell over Ariel.

"Stop your crying, little fish," Killian grumbled lowly. "You shouldn't have swam so close if you hadn't wanted to see what was waiting above the surface."

"I just wanted to see the ship," Ariel sniffed. "You didn't have to tangle me up."

Killian's whole body tensed, and he turned around in his chair to look at her. Seeing the cruel glint in his eye, she sank as far below the water as the cramped space would allow.

"You wanted to see the ship, aye?" He asked, standing and approaching the tub. When she nodded, he slipped the blunt end of his hook under her chin, pulling her back up from under the water. "Well, love, you're seeing it. Enough of your crying."

With a fire in her eyes that rivaled the flame of her hair, Ariel reached up and pushed his hook away from her face.

"You wanted to catch a mermaid, _aye?_" she spat, crossing her arms over her bare chest, only hidden by the mass of hair she had tumbling down her torso. "Well, you caught one. Now you have to deal with a mermaid's temperament."

"We'll see about that, love," he said, almost threateningly as he stalked out of his quarters. Outside, the sun was creeping up over the endless expanse of sea. He let out the breath he felt as though he had been holding since he saw her caught in his net. How could the girl that had been starring in his dreams appear now, swimming around his ship? What could his dreams possibly mean?

And why did she have to be so damned stubborn and devastatingly beautiful? He had to maintain his authority over everyone aboard his ship, even the mermaid held captive in his cabin, and she made it simultaneously difficult and easy to be harsh with her. Her beauty and sadness made it hard for him to be angry, but as soon as she opened her mouth and began talking back to him, he knew his dominance would be even more important.

As the sun rose in the East, setting the sea and the sky on fire, his crew began to rouse from their drunken sleep, just as they did every morning. As they began filing out onto the deck, assuming their daily duties, Smee disappeared to his cabin for his own slumber. That left Killian completely alone, though he was surrounded by pirates who loyally followed and respected him. None of them knew the boon he was hiding behind the heavy oak door of his quarters, and none of them understood the burden he was carrying as he simply went about his day.

He took his place at the helm, holding the wheel steady as the waves woke up and shook the ship in greeting. His mind wasn't on the course he was charting, though – he knew his destination by heart. Instead, a little mermaid was swimming serenely around his thoughts and scenes from his nightmares kept his eyes wide open.

-x-

Feedback is greatly appreciated. :) Next chapter will be longer, promise.


	4. Pretty and Powerful

The lifeboat was made of rough, unfinished wood. Every move that Ariel made, she seemed to scratch herself on a loose shard or a particularly knobby plank. The water barely covered her up to her waist, keeping her tail necessarily wet, but preventing her from being able to fully submerge herself. Even as she felt the waves rock the ship and ran her fingers though the saltwater surrounding her, she couldn't seem to calm her nerves.

She was a prisoner, a feeling the young mermaid princess knew well. All her life, the ocean was her backyard, but she could never venture beyond. The land was a temptation that she longed to taste, but could never quite reach. Humans were a fascination, but never one she thought would be her downfall. Now, she was trapped alone in a tiny lifeboat, her only companion a cruel man whose beauty from afar didn't match his soul up close.

Though she had always felt trapped by the sea, she had never been alone before. Always surrounded by other merfolk and marine life, Ariel never found herself wanting for someone to talk to, and even now, though she felt the pain of isolation, she didn't want to speak to Captain Hook ever again.

He was rude – his eyes that had looked so sad gazing out over the tides now looked cold and unforgiving. How could one man have such different expressions, she wondered. How could the man who looked to be yearning so desperately for something down in the depths now be so detached from something he plucked out of them?

Left with no other option for solace, Ariel began softly singing to herself, her fin running languidly through the water as best as it could in the small space. She sang a song that she had heard a different sailor sing, years ago. This sailor's boat had capsized, and he was the lone survivor of his crew. She had found him floating on a piece of driftwood, singing so sadly that she couldn't help but save him, swimming him to shore. That man had been kind. She had been a fool to believe all men would be.

"_Your tongue is a rudder. It steers the whole ship, sends your words past your lips or keeps them safe behind your teeth_," she sang softly, remembering the solemn voice of the stranded sailor. This song seemed perfect for her as well, stranded and alone. "_But the wrong words will strand you, come off course while you sleep, sweep your boat out to sea or dashed to bits on the reefs. The vessel groans, the ocean pressures its frame. Off the port I see the lighthouse through the sleet and the rain. And I wished for one more day to give my love and repay debts, but the morning finds our bodies washed up thirty miles west."_

Suddenly, the door to the captain's quarters slammed open, revealing her captor, his face flashing with both anger and something more forgiving.

"What are you doing?" he seethed, stepping in the room. Behind him was his entire crew, looking mesmerized by her song. Instead of stopping, as her fear of the captain suggested, she just began to sing a little louder.

"_Calm me and let me taste the salt you breathed while you were underneath_," she sang, locking eyes with the captain in the doorway as her clear voice captured both Killian and his crewmen behind him. "_I am the one who haunts your dreams of mountains sunk below the sea. I spoke the words but never gave a thought to what they all could mean. I know that this is what you want. A funeral keeps both of us apart. You know that you are not alone, need you like water in my lungs_."

She made the mistake of pausing in her song as she neared the end. Though the men behind him still seemed entranced by her voice, Killian shook his head and came to his senses. Slamming the heavy door behind him, he stalked over to the lifeboat, grasping her arms tightly.

"You stupid girl," he tried to yell, but it came out as more of a whisper. Ariel noticed the sudden weakness in his voice, and her fear began to subside. "I didn't want them to know about you. They will want you for themselves."

"I – I was lonely. I wanted to sing, because I have nothing else I can do," she replied simply, feeling his grip on her arms loosen. "I didn't know anyone could hear me."

"Mermaid -" he began, but she interrupted him.

"Ariel. My name is Ariel."

"Ariel, then. Do you have any idea what the voice of a mermaid can do to a man? It's why your kind is so dangerous to humans. Your voice alone could drive a man to his death. And God, do you have a beautiful voice." Killian's voice was barely above a whisper as he finished, the memory of the spell her voice had cast over him sending shivers down his spine. She sounded exactly as she did in his dreams. It was the same song that she sang.

The first reactions that came to her mind were biting and sarcastic. She wanted to shout at him that maybe she should just keep singing so he would let her go, but the vulnerability in his eyes gave her pause. He seemed to be out of breath, and for the first time since he had ensnared her, he didn't look stony. Ariel could see a glimpse of the emotion she had seen in him as he looked out over her ocean hiding in his eyes. Before she even realized what she was doing, she reached out and placed a hand on his arm. At first, her touch seemed to startle him, then it erased the softness she had just seen in his face.

"There will be no more singing on my ship," the captain said in an icy tone, standing up and walking away from her.

"You may have been able to take my home away from me, but you can't take my voice," she argued, but quickly retreated to the furthest edge of her lifeboat when he shot her a challenging glare. "You wouldn't, you just said yourself that it is powerful."

"Aye, it is. But you will keep that pretty, powerful tongue to yourself as long as I say you will," he said, a sharpness to his voice as he ran his good hand along his hook in a threatening gesture. "Plus – there's a rowdy crew out there that would love to get a piece of lovely little mermaid such as yourself. You wouldn't want that, now, would you Ariel?"

Ariel shook her head, sinking back down into the water as low as she could. As he turned to leave, she called after him, "Captain Hook!"

He turned in the doorway, half of his face hidden in the shadow of the brightening sun, and even though she was terrified of him, she couldn't deny how handsome he looked in that moment.

"Thank you for protecting me," she said, barely above a whisper.

"Call me Killian, love. Killian Jones," he muttered back, before shutting the door and leaving her once again alone.

-x-

The song Ariel sings is "Play Crack the Sky" by Brand New, and it's gorgeous, for anyone who wants to give it a listen.


	5. Promise and Danger

When Killian returned to his cabin later that evening, he was exhausted. It had taken a good deal of convincing and threatening to keep his crew from breaking down his door to get to Ariel, and though he had quelled their interest for now, he had no doubt that it would cause further turmoil in the future. He opened the door with his hook, his good hand balancing a tray of food for Ariel. She startled at his entrance, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of relief.

"Food. Eat," he mumbled, handing her the tray, which held her dinner and a glass of water. She muttered a small "thank you" before eating everything on the plate quickly. A pang of guilt rushed over him – she was hungry, and he hadn't thought to bring her food earlier in the day. In his exhaustion, he walked over to his bed and collapsed face-down with a long groan. The lack of sleep mixed with the trying day had taken a lot out of him.

"Are you alright?" Ariel asked in a small voice. He chuckled, finding it ironic that the captive was worried about the captor.

"Your little tail was hard to save today, love. Don't make a habit of being a burden to me," Killian said, his words muffled by the blankets on his bed. He heard the movement of water and lifted his head to see her turned around to face him.

"Why do you call me love? You don't love me," she puzzled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. The action left her chest uncovered, and it was a sight Killian couldn't handle at the moment.

"For god's sake, girl, put a shirt on," he growled, pulling his off from the collar behind his neck and tossing it at her. She caught it, and though she looked confused, she slipped it over her head, tying it around her waist so it wasn't dragging in the water.

"Why are you so mean to me?" she asked quietly, looking down at the water she sat in. "I didn't do anything to you. You were the one who caught me."

"I'm a pirate, Ariel. We aren't known for our niceties. I didn't know mermaids had such sensitive feelings," he said, rolling onto his back and flopping his bare arm over his eyes.

"I'm a princess. I was raised on niceties," she confided softly, peeking up at him through the thick fringe of bangs that fell across her eyes. "They aren't difficult, you should really try to be a little kinder."

"Maybe I'd be kinder if you would be quieter," he snapped back, louder than he had intended. Another swishing noise of water, and he knew she had turned away from him. Running her fingers through her long hair, she began to hum softly, an act that both infuriated and relaxed him.

"I told you no singing," he tried to scold, but his voice came out quiet and calm.

"And I'm not singing, Killian." She continued to hum, and before he could even yank his boots off his tired feet, Killian drifted off to sleep right where he lay.

_That night, the dream came again. It started exactly as it always did, with him battling to stay afloat on a stormy sea. When Ariel's voice reached his ears, he swam directly to her, but this time, he called out her name for help. She looked over to him, and the face that in his dreams always wore a far-off smile and hazy eyes was contorted with worry and fear. She immediately dove into the water and swam to him, pulling him to the rock with her, and helping him up to safety. He looked at her, in disbelief at the turn the dream had taken, but she just laughed at his expression. "This is what you needed all along, Killian. You just had to ask for help. I'll always be there to help you, my love," the dream-Ariel cooed. He leaned in to kiss her, but just as their lips were about to meet – _

"Killian, help!" Ariel cried out from across the room. He sat straight up in bed to find two of his men struggling to lift the slippery girl from her little sanctuary. One was fighting with her arms, which kept slapping and snaking away from him, and the other was trying to grab her tail, and then dodge it when she lashed it out toward him.

"What is the meaning of this?" he shouted, his authoritative voice returning though he had just awoken. Both men stopped trying to grab Ariel, but turned their vicious eyes on him.

"Why should you get her all to yourself, Hook?" one of them spat venomously.

"Because I am the captain, and what happens on my ship is up to me. My ship, my rules," he growled, moving over to place himself between the men and the terrified mermaid. "If you have a problem with that, maybe it's high time you took a little swim."

The two crewmen exchanged a glance before lunging toward Killian. He grabbed his sword from his bedside table, and swung it, catching one of the men in the hip. He writhed away in pain, but adrenaline brought the man back for further attack. Both of the crewmen were armed, and the clanging of swords against swords and against hook was too much for Ariel to bear. Before the fighting could escalate any farther, Ariel opened her mouth and began singing as loud as she could. She sang no words, but an intricate melody beautiful enough to stop all three men in their tracks. They all turned to look at her. The two crewmen looked completely enchanted, but Killian looked pained, as though he were trying to fight off her spell.

Still singing every word, Ariel instructed, "If you're name is not Killian Jones, it's time for you to soak your bones. Walk off the side of this grand old ship, meet the ocean for your final trip. Let the waves sing you to sleep, embrace the world of the ocean deep."

The two men walked out of the room, still entranced by her voice. The spell didn't break until they both hit the surface of the ocean. Unlike the night before, the waves were strong and high, and the sea seemed to wake up to swallow the two ruffians. Once she heard the two splashes and their ensuing cries, Ariel stopped singing and looked up at Killian.

"I'm sorry I sang, I just didn't know what else to do," she whispered quietly, tears forming in her eyes as she realized what she had just done. As she started to cry, Killian dropped to his knees beside her boat and pulled her into his arms.

"Shhhh, love. You did what had to be done. Be at peace," he murmured against her hair, stroking her shaking arm as she cried.

"I just killed those men," she sobbed against him.

"If you hadn't, they would have killed both me and you. You only did what you had to do. Davy Jones wanted two lives tonight, and he was going to get them, no matter which two lives they were," he reassured, holding her carefully with his left arm, making sure that his hook didn't touch her skin. She pulled back from him just enough to look in his eyes, blue fighting against blue in an intense gaze.

"I'm terrified," she whispered quietly. "I don't know anything about this world. I didn't even know I could do what I just did. And I don't know how much longer I can handle sitting in this awful little boat."

He sighed, pulling back from her and running a hand through his hair. His eyes darted over to the bookshelf in the corner, overcrowded with maps and knickknacks. A bottle of purple liquid sat on the top shelf, glimmering with promise and danger.

"I can't let you go. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but there is something tying me to you, and I can't let you swim away and never figure out that piece of the puzzle," he admitted, looking more vulnerable than he had even when she had seen him gazing out to sea. "But there is something I can do."

"What is that?" she asked tentatively, brushing the last of her tears from her eyelashes.

"You said that you had wanted to look at the ship last night when I caught you. Why is that?" His eyes didn't leave the vial.

She bit her lip and considered her words very carefully before answering. She couldn't very well blurt out that she was fascinated by him and she wanted more than anything to meet him.

"I have always been fascinated by the human world and everything in it – land, ships, people. I just wanted to get close enough to explore.

"Well, love, you may get your chance," Killian sighed, running a hand through his still sleep-mussed hair. He walked over to the shelf and retrieved the container, swirling around its contents before turning back to her. "The woman who gave this to me told me that I would know when to use it. She told me that this potion would change the nature of things, so I had to be very careful, but when the moment was right, I would know."

"What are you saying?" Ariel asked, fear starting to creep through her veins as he approached her, uncorking the bottle. "Killian, what are you doing?"

Before he could answer or she could protest, he thrust his hook under the water and looped it around the narrowest part of her fin, pulling her tail up out of the water. He poured the purple liquid over her shining green scales. As the last drop from the bottle escaped and fell onto her, she started screaming in pain. Before his eyes, Ariel was lifted completely from the water as her fin began to transform into legs.

It didn't take long before the change was finished, and Ariel was dropped back into the boat with a loud splash. The magic had worked, just as he had hoped it would. Her screaming had stopped, and instead, she was looking at her new appendages in equal parts wonder and worry.

"Congratulations, my girl. You're a human, now," Killian said with a smile.

-x-

Feedback?


	6. Confusion and Desire

Ariel couldn't stop staring at her legs in disbelief. She wasn't sure if she was feeling more terrified or giddy as she stared at the two long, pale limbs stretched out under the water in the lifeboat. Half of her wanted to yell, but the other half couldn't stop the smile from creeping onto her face.

"What…how…" she stuttered, unable to convey the thoughts she wasn't even quite sure she understood.

"Magic, love. You're a woman now. Care to try walking?" Killian said, a smirk across his face as he watched the beautiful young lady marvel at her legs. He extended his hand to her. She looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with tears, which he assumed were from both joy and fear. "Come now, it's easy."

Tentatively, Ariel placed her small, soft hand in his larger, rougher one. He helped pull her to her feet, but she couldn't support herself on newfound, unused muscles. She stumbled, nearly crashing back into the water, but Killian pulled her to him, supporting her before she could fall. Her hand was still encircled by his, both of them resting against his chest. She was pulled close to his body, relying mostly on him to hold her up.

The two of them made eye contact, and in a slow, confusing and breathtaking moment, found that neither could look away. All Ariel could think was, here he was – the man she had been gazing upon for weeks, marveling at the line of his jaw, the wind in his hair, and the look in his eyes. Killian's mind was busy trying to memorize the curve of her lips and the light smattering of freckles across her nose. He was mesmerized by the way her breath felt as it tumbled over his throat.

All too soon, though, a heavy wave knocked the ship off balance, sending them both crashing to the floor. Ariel landed on top of him, blushing and clumsy, still struggling to figure out how to use her legs to maneuver off away. With an awkward and nervous giggle, she tried climbing off of him, but he wrapped an arm around her waist and kept her close.

"I quite like the view from here, mermaid," he whispered, his lips close to her cheek.

"I already told you my name is Ariel," she corrected, but her voice held little protestation.

"Ariel," Killian sighed, rolling the name around on his tongue. He ran his hand through her locks, tangling his fingers in the curls at the base of her neck. "Well, no matter, I still am enjoying the scenery."

Her cheeks blushed even more scarlet at his words and at his hand stroking her hair. Clearly unsure of what to do or say, she cleared her throat and tried to push up off of him again.

"So, um, are you going to teach me to walk now?" Ariel blurted, sitting up too abruptly.

"Aye, if that's what you want, love. But first, we need to get some clothes on you. Don't know how much longer I can resist the temptation," he said coyly, his eyes travelling down her body. She looked away, feeling embarrassed, though she wasn't sure exactly what he meant. "I don't have any dresses befitting of a princess, so these will have to do."

He stood and walked over to an unsightly wooden dresser, pulling out a pair of worn, brown trousers and tossing them to her. She caught them, but eyed them incredulously.

"I don't know what to do with these," she mumbled. With a dark chuckle, he crossed the room and kneeled by her side.

"Well, let me show you then, love," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear as he pulled her to her feet. Still wobbly, she had to hold his shoulders as he kneeled before her and guided her right foot, then her left foot into the pants. As he carefully helped her feet through the legs, Killian shifted his head slightly, his nose brushing against Ariel's bare thigh. She gasped, her fingers reactively tightening on his shoulders. He froze, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly before helping her shimmy the pants up her legs. When he stood and met her gaze, her eyes looked hazy and surprised, but were fixated directly on him.

"You have no idea the things I want to do to you right now," he breathed huskily, his fingers working in tandem with his hook to lace up the front of the pants, lightly brushing against her through the worn leather. Her breathing was ragged, and he was fighting to keep his even. Once he tied the knot, he took a step back, watching the torrent of confusion and desire flash in her eyes.

"Step towards me. Left foot," he instructed, taking one of her hands in his good one and guiding her other hand to his shoulder. She daintily lifted her toes from the planks below her feet and placed them back down several inches closer to him. Her eyes were now intently focused on the ground. "Very good, love. Now shift your weight onto that foot."

Slowly, Ariel did as Killian told her, and shifted forward. She lost her balance slightly, falling into him again. She herself wasn't even sure if she had done it by accident or on purpose, just to be close to him again. He chuckled and took another step back.

"Right foot this time," he coached, smiling when she got the step right. They continued on like that for several minutes, each time, Ariel taking baby steps closer to him, still putting much reliance in the support of his hand and shoulder. Soon, he took several steps away, leaving her standing on her own in the middle of the room.

"It's easy, Ariel. Do what you just did, but by yourself," he said, beckoning her towards him with his hook. She took a shaky breath and lifted her foot to take her first step by herself.

Neither of them knew it, but this wasn't the last time Ariel would find herself on shaky ground, wanting nothing more than to hold Killian's hand again.


	7. Legs and Laughter

Killian watched, leaning casually against the helm of the Jolly Roger, as Ariel explored the world from her new vantage point. Once she figured out her first steps in his cabin, she was desperate for more space to move around. It was just a bit before dawn, with the moon slipping away and the sky starting to lighten, and he knew that soon he would have to either take Ariel back to his quarters or explain her presence to his crew. He wasn't looking forward to either option.

"Killian, look!" Ariel called, a giggle in her voice. "Watch how fast I can spin!"

He couldn't help but smile at how happy she looked, her feet nearly tripping over one another as she whirled herself around in circles. He didn't want to confine her back into his cabin, especially when he had just turned her world completely upside down. If he left her alone for too long, Killian figured the anger would replace the wonder, and he wasn't sure how to combat that.

"Whoa, whoa," Ariel gasped, still giggling as she fell down to the deck of the ship. From a puddle of clumsy legs and wild red hair, she looked up at Killian, blue eyes filled with excitement. "This is so much fun!"

"Easy there, my girl," he chuckled, swaggering over and helping her back to her feet. It was clear she was still dizzy, so when she leaned against his chest, he wasn't surprised. When she didn't move after several moments, though, his curiosity peaked. He asked her softly, "How are you feeling about all of this?"

"I don't want to think about it too much, really," she answered, one of her hands lightly tracing over some of the intricate stitching on collar of his thick leather coat. It was an oddly intimate gesture that confused the hell out of him, but he didn't quite mind it.

"I just don't want you to realize you actually aren't happy with your legs and try to do something rash," Killian whispered against her hair, one arm snaking around her waist. The closeness of the moment was doing things to his head. Old memories started floating behind his eyes, and a desire to touch more of her was creeping through his fingers.

"My entire life just changed. It's a lot to take in. I'm a little scared, actually," Ariel whispered. "And I'm worried about everything – so, so worried. Less than two days ago, I wanted nothing to do with you. Now, I…I don't know what's going on in my head." Her voice sped up towards the end of her sentence as she pulled away from him. Two steps back, and the spell that was over them both was broken.

"I just have so much to figure out. Now, I can do things I had only dared to dream about, but there are also things I will never do again. As happy as I have seemed, you can't expect me to forget what you have forced me to give up," she said, her voice surprisingly even. Killian sighed, knowing that she had clearly been thinking about this more than he had realized. When she had been skittering around, all long legs and laughter, it hadn't been difficult to convince himself that this would go smoothly. Now, as her words and eyes showed apprehension, he knew it would be anything but easy.

"And you shall have time to figure it out," he managed, watching as she uneasily shifted from foot to foot. Clearing his throat, he reassumed the role of the hard, seafaring captain. "You will stay in my cabin during the day while the crew is about the ship. They are not to know about your…condition. Once my men are asleep, you can wander the Jolly Roger, but only under my supervision."

She nodded curtly, her eyes avoiding his. Her gaze shifted from the wooden boards beneath her toes to the sun as it slipped up over the ocean, painting the waters shades of pink and orange as the world lit up. He noticed the longing in her eyes, but was more preoccupied with the way the sun caught in her hair and the hue her skin took on in the light of the sunrise. When he saw a tear slide down her cheek and roll from her face down to the deck, he felt an overwhelming need to close the gap between them. In one swift step, he gathered her back into his arms, being careful not to touch her with his hook. She looked up at him with surprise and confusion in her eyes, but as he was happy to see, her gaze bore no fear.

"Love, you still have so much to learn," Killian whispered. "I want to teach you, but you'll have to trust me."

"And why would I do that, Captain? I don't think you deserve my faith."

"And I don't. But what other choice do you have?" he answered with a smirk.

"The sun has risen. You should hide me away like the fragile little child you think I am," Ariel said, looking back out to the sea, the longing returning to her eyes.

"I have never thought of you as a child, but fragile? Yes. And I will make sure that as long as you are in my keeping, no one breaks you. I told you already, you are my treasure, love."

"But what about you? Will you break me?" she looked up at him defiantly, a boldness behind her eyes that was stirring an excitement deep within him. Killian's icy blue eyes darted from hers to her mouth before he pressed his lips softly against hers. When she didn't pull away or protest, he kissed her a bit more insistently. As he felt her lips move against his, his kiss became hungrier, all of the unexplained feelings he had experienced since his dreams began spilling out into the moment. His left arm stayed wrapped around her waist and he tangled his right hand into her hair. One of her small hands was on his chest, holding tightly onto his shirt, while the other was resting on the side of his neck. Much to his surprise, her kiss held a fervor similar to his.

Neither of them even broke for air long enough to notice the crew that had filed out onto the deck and was now watching the two of them in shock.

-x-

Sorry I took so long to update! Let me know what you think, this chapter didn't come as easily as I had hoped. :/ I think things will be speeding up from here, though.


End file.
